This Month in Booze: November 2014

Holiday Drinking Begins Now - Here's How To Prepare Yourself

We've moved into the season of tailgating, holiday bacchanals and a general sense of overindulgence (to be enjoyed responsibly, of course). But that doesn't mean you should just stuff any old thing into your pie hole. Below you'll find the latest and best in what continues to be a busy, busy period filled with new product releases. Will the madness never end? We hope not.

The Imperial Shaker, the number one gift in the super luxe 2014 Neiman Marcus Christmas Book of Fantasy Gifts, was recreated from an early 19th century line drawing and is historically accurate. It looks like something Tim Burton might design, if he used saturated colors. The 5-foot-tall shaker (packaged with other perks) sells for a meager $35,000 (with $5K going to Neiman Marcus' arts education charity).

Drinking 2.0, 2.0: As of October 30, you have another means of scoring hard-to-find small batch craft booze online. Ezras.com is an online store based in Chicago, dedicated to bringing hard-to-find craft and microdistillery products to consumers. Founded by twin brothers Adam and Parker Newman, along with their college buddy Scott Reich, the company's plan is to provide a little bit of insight into each product and its distillery, helping you class up your game while you score delectable distillates from the likes of St. George (San Francisco), Few Spirits (Illinois) and Akashi (Japan), among others. "The best e-commerce is not just about selling products, but a lifestyle," says Parker Newman. "We have about 120 products now, but eventually we'd like to grow this into a one-stop destination for all things spirits-related."

NEW BOOZE

The Glenrothes 1992 2nd Edition: What's great about whisky is that no matter what process is used to make it, once it starts aging, every barrel will differ slightly from the others (which is why most whiskies, even single malts, are a complex blend of multiple barrels, so a consistent, identifiable flavor profile can be achieved). Each year spent in barrel also changes a whisky. With this vintage series, former malt master John Ramsay left some of Anchor Distilling's cache of 1992 Glenrothes alone after the first bottling in 2004, allowing it to mature longer. Current malt master Gordon Motion decided it was time to open a few casks and the results do not disappoint. On the nose, it's bright and aromatic, with notes of vanilla, soft, ripe fruits and a hint of toffee and coconut. On the mouth, it is smooth and round, pleasantly mature, with notes of vanilla, almond, lemon zest and coconut milk. 44.3% ABV, $250.

Herradura Colección de Casa, Reserva 2014 Tequila: Aged tequila first came about in the 1970s or so when Mexicans began drinking more Scotch whisky. While many tequila brands these days employ new oak or ex-bourbon barrels for aging their agave spirits, Herradura harkens back to the early days with this inventive Scotch cask-finished Reposado. Aged first in charred ex-bourbon American oak for 11 months, it's then finished for three months in barrels that once held Highlands and Islay whiskies. The whole thing is married together for the third release in the Coleccion de la Casa series. On the nose, agave is there, but notes of butter, vanilla, oak and smoke are definitely Scotch-y. On the mouth, the same thing: Sweet up front with fruit notes from the agave and a long agave finish. In between comes a pleasantly confusing melange of smoke, caramel, butter, marzipan and dates. 40% ABV, $90.